The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-06
THE REALMS OF DARKNESS.
Strange Discoveries in the Numerous
Caves and Caverns of Indiana.
Eyeless Fish and Animals Found in Under
ground Dwelling Places-The Origin Of
SubterraneansS Streams and Passages.

'The history of caves" said Professor Collett
ex State Geologist. the Journal reporter seated
himself for the regular weekly talk, s'verges on
the realm of mystery. The unknown is always
filled with wonders. Solemn silence, utter dark
ness and the chilly atmosphere have ever been
dread attractions. In song, tradition, story and
religious teaching every age has borrowed illus
tration and incident from such dim, uncertain
homes of darkness, peopling them with all that
a wild imagination can create or desire In bib
lical history a number of caves are mentioned.
Strabo speaks of a cavern near Damascus ca
pable of holding four thousand men. 1t is to be
seen at this day. Modern novels abound in de-
scriptions of Syrian and other Oriental caves.
The Crusaders related marvellous tales of under
ground dwelling places. In Walter SCOTS novel,
The Talisman,' is a cave wonderfully described.
There is cave near Aleppo which, it is said,
would hold three thousand horsemen. Another,
near Sidon, is described as containing two hun
dred smaller caverns and dens. l believe the
first mention of a cave in Scripture is the one
into which Lot and his family retired from Zoar
after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Next is the Cave of Machpelah, which
~AoAouau puTCudS6u 10 ScpulLuF0 Ills uodu
The caves of every quarter of the globe
have been used as habitations, places of retreat,
temples for religious worship, sepulchres for the
dead. Ancient Greece and Rome placed some OF
their hottest shrnes and oracles in shadowy
realms where the conditions were darkness and
ooscurity. The oracles of the Sybils' cave will
live as long classic story, and Virgls glimpses
of the land Of shadows are among the brightest
pictures of Augustan glory. Some of the most
interesting events of the history of Asia, Amer
lea and Europe are connected with caves-deeds
of heart-rending disaster and violence or acts of
high faith and devotion
1.-THE ST. Louis group of the lower carbonifer-
Gus age is called the cavernous limestone, on &C.
count Of numerous caves which occur In it
and similar calcareous deposits at various places
among which not only the caverns of In
diana and also Mammoth and other caves in
Kentucky, Weyer's cave in Virginia; Howes
cave, in Schoharie county, New York. Kirkda!e,
in Great Britain; the grotto Of Antiparos, in
Greece, and the noted caves of Franconia.
Owing to the great thickness Of the strata OF
this group of rocks in Indiana the caverns are
here a grand scale. This limestone forms
the surface rocks in many of the counties
of Indana-Purnam. Monroe. Lawrence.
Washington. Harrison and Crawford Through
this regions drops or streams of water
have excavated a multitude of underground
avenues and canals of all forms and dimensions,
branching in endless variety. They did not al
ways exist. Rain and snow water charged with
gases from the atmosphere are cted in
pools and brooks. A drop of thu aepine
through check crack of the rock llarges
its way by removing film of carbonate of lime
- -
cess. In constant action through ages. enlarged
the crevasses until drops were filled by soaps.
These in ages became brooks which, in the rest
less round of untrine time expanded to the vol
ume of creeks, and when cycles and aeons had
passed. the single drop had grown to mighty
subterranean river. When such passages be-
came so enlarged that the water did not fill the
cavernous space. funnelshaped sink holes,
fifty to FIVE hundred feet in diameter and ten to
thirty feet In depth, after rainfall, collected
heavy air. charged with still heavier carbonie
acid gas, and continued the solvent process al
ready begun.
At remote parts of cave this gas exists to an al
most dangerous extent; hence, the air action with
in the cave is more powerful than at the mouth
where pure air has access. The standpoint oil
| the different stages of these streams and pools
| of water may often be seen recorded on the side
| walls, as inches and holdings Pebbles ani
| their matrix of clay Indicate the direction in
| which the water flowed and the rate of motion
i When water holding bcarbonate of lime il
| solution drops slowly from the ceiling, by which
| it is exposed to the air long enough t.
| allow the escape of equivalent of carbonit
| acid gas, the lime is deposited in the form of
carbonate. If the deposit occurs SO that the &C
emulation takes place from above, downward
in the form of an icicle, IL constitutes what il
termed stalactite-tha. is, stone icicle. Blu
| if it forms on the floor of cave and &C
cumulates from below upward, it is known a,
a staagmite, drop of stone. Stalactites ant
stalagmites frequently meet and connect th'
| or column. If the solution which form
| the stalactite and staagmite is fire.
| from oxide of iron or mud it will be translucen
| or milk-white. Any salt of iron gives dirt,
yellow or dark brown color. In the accompany
| ing stratas small deposits and concretions O
pyrites sulphite of iron exist This decom
poses exposure to the air. and gypsum o
plaster of paris is formed. This when crystal
| lied, in translucent or finely tinted Masses i
| known as alabaster and is wrought into vase
and other parlor ornaments. In the dry cham
bers or avenues in which plaster of Paris occurs
| beautiful rosettes are sometimes formed as tn
| mineral in crystals pushes out spurs which, ac
| gregated. look like the petals, stamens and pis
! tils of some quaint flower frozen in snow-brieh
| wniteness. Large caves which do not hav
many sink-hole openings inhaIe cold heavy al
during the winter, and on the slightest rarifcs
tions of summer heat an outward current exists
Thus, caves breathe twice year.
"There are seventeen caves in Indiana of con
| siderable size, and which have been explored
Others OF great extent either INSTRUCTED b
water or eroded material. some of which wi
invite the future discovery. Many, however
| pouring out brooks and rivers, will never be tr;
versed by man. small cave. near Green:astl,
was explored by Professor Denote and John
Reasner. in November, 1884. The entrance
| through aperture two feet in diameter, tie
feet from the surface. 1t has many rooms frol
twenty to thirty feet in diameter, and long pas
ways from few feet to as many yards in heigh
and cross section with length of several hui
dred yards. Although unnoted and almo
unknown, near the furthest end of the passae
upon the wall some ones name. very indistinc
was marked, bearing dats which appeared to /
1890 There are many other names of iats
visitors, chiefly students of the University, i,
scribed upon the walls.
There are several caves in Monroe count
One near Bloomington is made famous in Il
pioneer history of Indiana It was decide
that possibly some ravenous beast inha
tied it. Perhaps more graphic illustration